Have to agree on Showdown and DiRT 3 being a bit of a downward spiral for Codies. I appreciate that they gave the cars weight and momentum in DiRT 3, but the AI times they expect you to beat makes it feel like you're trying to unrealistically drag race through the woods and hope you don't wipe out. That's not how rally racing is done. Showdown was also a disgrace to the derby racing in GRID that spawned so much interest in that genre of racing.

I went through and played GRID again recently. It can still compete with and beat some of the best race games that have come since on graphics and gamplay.

“GRID’s back and we’re going to make street, track and road racing exciting again,” said Clive Moody, Executive Producer. “The core design philosophy for GRID 2 is that we treat the race as a character, not a consequence of simply putting cars on tracks. Everything that goes into the game impacts on that second-to-second, in the moment, blockbuster drama – the feel and personality of the race.”
“We’re pushing boundaries once again with what can be accomplished in the genre via new tools, technology and innovations. In single-player, split-screen and online, the next-generation of the EGO Game Technology Platform will power graphics, AI, handling and damage advancements that will immerse players in the racing experience like never before. Like its predecessor, GRID 2 will put the sheer thrill and adrenaline rush of the race at the heart of the experience. It’s what we call Total Race Day Immersion.”

Click to expand...

In an expansive career mode, players will experience aggressive wheel-to-wheel racing against advanced AI where each spectacular race unfolds with cinematic immersion. Building on the handling model from GRID, the new TrueFeel Handling System will use real physics to hit a sweetspot between accessibility and simulation and deliver handling that is approachable yet challenging to master.

Going behind the wheel of a handpicked selection of automotive icons spanning four decades and three continents – USA, Europe and Asia – players will race their way to the top of a new, evolving world of motorsport. From Paris to Abu Dhabi, Miami to the sun-kissed California coast and beyond, beautifully created city streets, licensed circuits and edge-of-control mountain roads will become home to the most visceral and exhilarating races in games.

GRID 2 will also set new standards for a racing multiplayer experience with an entirely distinct and extensive gameplay component and unique progression system. Deep customisation options and integration with RaceNet* – the online community portal for Codemasters Racing games which tracks player’s races, rewards and rivals – will offer further immersion and connectivity in GRID 2’s new world of motorsport.

Hmmm, no cockpit view and only talking about visual vs performance tuning. That doesn't seem to jive with "...TrueFeel Handling System will use real physics to hit a sweetspot between accessibility and simulation and deliver handling that is approachable yet challenging to master."

The "sweetspot between accessibility and simulation" part tends to make it sound like driver assists will be optional, but with the Shift/Shift 2 type games, they're usually accompanied by lots of performance settings. Any game with anything NEAR simulation handling really NEEDS performance tuning.

Now it would be one thing if they were just holding off giving all the details until they're sure how elaborate the tuning will be, esp given so many arcade racers have no clue how to use it, but you can't help but think red flag when they boldly say they've dropping cockpit view entirely, as if to say, "We're building it around the primarily arcade audience."

So, in essence, I'm more concerned about the styling of the game, than the omission of cockpit view. Driving cams can usually be modded in, and have been in past Codies games. If they build the game around one driving style more than another though, there's not much you can do about it. I guess it's all up to their interpretation of "sweet spot", but when you consider how much different cockpit view driving feels, the handling can't help but be somewhat skewed without it.

Yeah after hearing about no cockpit view they lost a sale with me. I tolerated it in DiRT Showdown well be it was DiRT Showdown... A "fluff" arcade game with little actual real racing in it.

I only race from the Cockpit(G25/Playseat/Track IR)and up until Showdown Codemasters let me use all of that...Looking like a Gamepad/Console racer despite all this talk of "physics" What good are physics if your stuck driving in 3rd person "RC Car Cam" :shadedshu